Network camera data management system and managing method thereof

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a network camera, and more particularly to a network camera data management system and a management method thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the development of network technology, network cameras have become increasingly popular and been widely used in security surveillance, home care and the like. A user is able to view camera data on his/her personal computer or smart phone in real time by connecting a network camera to a network at home, office, or even outdoors.

In addition to a real-time viewing function, some network cameras are also provided with a function of transmitting and storing camera data online, that is, the camera data can be uploaded to and stored in a storage space in a server provided by an individual or a vendor, thereby enabling a user to retrieve, view and edit the uploaded data in the future.

However, no matter a network camera is used for security surveillance, home care or for any other purposes, the camera data acquired usually contains both video and audio data. Hence, the data size is considerable. In such a case, a user inevitably needs to prepare an enormous storage space to store the huge-sized camera data. It also causes difficulty for a system to fully support the processes of retrieving, viewing and editing data. Consequently, the system's overall performance of execution is deteriorated, resulting in such issues as low processing speed and poor quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, conventional technology still has some disadvantages in storing, retrieving, viewing and editing camera data, which consequently result in such issues as low processing speed and poor quality.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a network camera data management system and a management method thereof for managing camera data of a network camera more efficiently.

The present invention provides a network camera data management system for managing camera data of a network camera, comprising: a data importing device which is connected with the network camera and is for importing the camera data of the network camera; a splitting and storing device which is connected with the data importing device and is for splitting the imported camera data into a camera audio data and a camera video data based on the respective data formats, and storing, via a network, the camera audio data and the camera video data respectively in different servers and/or in different server storage areas that have non-sequential storage addresses with each other in one server; and a data retrieving device which is connected with the servers and/or the server storage areas and is for retrieving, according to a retrieval condition, a fragment(s) of the camera audio data and/or a fragment(s) of the camera video data from the camera audio data and/or the camera video data stored in the servers and/or the server storage areas.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the network camera data management system further comprises a data merging device connected with the data retrieving device for merging the fragment(s) of the camera audio data and/or the fragment(s) of the camera video data.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the retrieval condition is a time point, a video content, or an audio content.

Further, the present invention also provides a network camera data management method for managing camera data of a network camera, comprising the steps of: (a) importing the camera data of the network camera; (b) splitting the imported camera data into a camera audio data and a camera video data based on the respective data formats, and storing, via a network, the camera audio data and the camera video data respectively in different servers and/or in different server storage areas having non-sequential storage addresses with each other in one server; and (c) retrieving, according to a retrieval condition, a fragment of the camera audio data and/or a fragment of the camera video data from the camera audio data and/or the camera video data stored in the servers and/or the server storage areas.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the step (a), the camera data of the network camera is synchronously imported while the network camera is recording.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the network camera data management method further comprises, after the step (c), a step (d) of: merging the retrieved fragment of the camera audio data and the retrieved fragment of the camera video data into a fragment camera data.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the network camera data management method further comprises, after the step (c), a step (d) of: merging the retrieved fragments of the camera audio data into a continuous-time camera audio data, and/or merging the retrieved fragments of the camera video data into a continuous-time camera video data.

By means of technical means of the present invention, the huge-sized camera data can be split into two parts including an audio part, i.e., the camera audio data and a video part, i.e., the camera video data so as to minimize data in a way that the data can be stored in different servers and/or different server storage areas which are independent to each other in one server. Efficient use of space is thus achieved. Further, by means of data miniaturization and distributed storage, the processes can be respectively executed by multiple server systems to thus enhance the performance of system. Accordingly, camera data management is implemented at a faster speed and with a better quality.

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a block diagram illustrating a network camera data management system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a block diagram illustrating a network camera data management system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is a flowchart diagram illustrating a network camera data management method according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> is a schematic diagram illustrating splitting and merging camera data by means of the network camera data management method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, and the description is used for explaining the embodiments of the present invention only, but not for limiting the scope of the claims.

As shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> and <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, a network camera data management system <b>100</b> according to one embodiment of the present invention is for managing camera data D of a network camera C. The network camera data management system <b>100</b> comprises: a data importing device <b>1</b> which is connected with the network camera C and for importing the camera data D of the network camera C; a splitting and storing device <b>2</b> which is connected with the data importing device <b>1</b> and is for splitting the imported camera data D into a camera audio data D<b>1</b> and a camera video data D<b>2</b> based on the respective data formats, and storing, via a network, the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and the camera video data D<b>2</b> respectively in different servers <b>21</b> and <b>22</b> and/or in different server storage areas <b>211</b> and <b>212</b> which have non-sequential storage addresses with each other in one server <b>21</b>; and a data retrieving device <b>3</b> which is connected with the servers <b>21</b> and <b>22</b> and/or the server storage areas <b>211</b> and <b>212</b> and is for retrieving, according to a retrieval condition, fragments D<b>11</b>, D<b>12</b>, and D<b>13</b> of the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and/or fragments D<b>21</b>, D<b>22</b> and D<b>23</b> of the camera video data D<b>2</b> from the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and/or the camera video data D<b>2</b> stored in the servers <b>21</b> and <b>22</b> and/or the server storage areas <b>211</b> and <b>212</b>.

In the network camera data management system <b>100</b>, the data importing device <b>1</b> and the splitting and storing device <b>2</b> can be provided as built-in parts of the network camera C. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the data importing device <b>1</b> and the splitting and storing device <b>2</b> can be connected to the network camera C externally. Moreover, in the embodiment shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, the network camera data management system <b>100</b> further includes a data merging device <b>4</b> connected with the data retrieving device <b>3</b> and used for merging the fragments D<b>11</b>, D<b>12</b> and D<b>13</b> of the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and/or the fragments D<b>21</b>, D<b>22</b>, D<b>23</b> of the camera video data D<b>2</b>.

Next, as shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>, a network camera data management method according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1, 2 and 4</figref>.

Firstly, camera data D of a network camera C is imported by the data importing device <b>1</b> (step S<b>110</b>). Preferably, the camera data D of the network camera C is synchronously imported while the network camera C is recording so as to prevent the camera data D from hoarding at the network camera side that leads to insufficient storage space and low efficiency.

Next, the imported camera data D is transmitted from the data importing device <b>1</b> to the splitting and storing device <b>2</b>, and then is split into a camera audio data D<b>1</b> and a camera video data D<b>2</b> based on the respective data formats (step S<b>120</b>). Specifically, the step of splitting the data based on the respective data formats is to separate the audio part and the video part from the entire camera data D so as to have smaller data size while maintaining the complete data for fitting into the storage areas to be stored therein subsequently.

Next, the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and the camera video data D<b>2</b> are transmitted from the splitting and storing device <b>2</b> via a wired/wireless network N to the servers <b>21</b> and <b>22</b> and/or to the server storage areas <b>211</b> and <b>212</b> that have non-sequential addresses with each other (step S<b>130</b>). In other words, the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and the camera video data D<b>2</b> are stored respectively in different storage areas instead of the same storage area. For example, when the camera audio data D<b>1</b> is stored in a server storage area <b>211</b> of the server <b>21</b>, the camera video data D<b>2</b> can be stored in a server storage area <b>221</b> of the different server <b>22</b>, as shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. As another example, when the camera audio data D<b>1</b> is stored in the server storage area <b>211</b> of the server <b>21</b>, the camera video data D<b>2</b> can be stored in the different server storage area <b>212</b> of the same server <b>21</b>. By such storing manner, the data can be distributed to various different storage spaces so as to achieve efficient use of space and reduce the burden on a single server/storage space to thereby effectively improve the data management efficiency.

Next, when a use has a demand for retrieving data, a retrieval condition may be inputted to have fragments D<b>11</b>, D<b>12</b> and D<b>13</b> of the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and/or fragments D<b>21</b>, D<b>22</b> and D<b>23</b> of the camera video data D<b>2</b> retrieved, by the data retrieving device <b>3</b>, from the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and/or the camera video data D<b>2</b> stored in the servers <b>21</b> and <b>22</b> and/or the server storage areas <b>211</b> and <b>212</b> (step S<b>140</b>.) The retrieval condition can be a point of time, a video content, or an audio content of the camera data D. For example, for an event happening at a time point, a person, an object, or a motion, and dialog, sound, or background noise that may appear in the event can be used as a retrieval condition for retrieving a specific event. According to the retrieval condition, the data retrieving device <b>3</b> performs the retrieve via the servers <b>21</b> and <b>22</b>. The result can be a fragment D<b>11</b>, D<b>12</b> or D<b>13</b> of the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and/or a fragment D<b>21</b>, D<b>22</b> or D<b>23</b> of the camera video data D<b>2</b>, i.e., a portion of the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and/or a portion of the camera video data D<b>2</b>. Since the retrieval process can be preferably executed or shared executed by respective servers, the processing speed can be improved.

Furthermore, after the data is retrieved, the retrieved fragments D<b>11</b>, D<b>12</b> and D<b>13</b> of the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and the retrieved fragments D<b>21</b>, D<b>22</b> and D<b>23</b> of the camera video data D<b>2</b> can be merged by the data merging device <b>4</b>. For example, as shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, the fragment D<b>11</b> of the camera audio data D<b>1</b> and the fragment D<b>21</b> of the camera video data D<b>2</b> of the same time segment can be merged by the data merging device <b>4</b> into a fragment camera data D<b>01</b>, the fragments D<b>12</b> and D<b>13</b> of the camera audio data D<b>1</b> from different time sections can be merged by the data merging device <b>4</b> into a continuous-time camera audio data DD<b>11</b>, and the fragments D<b>22</b> and D<b>23</b> of the camera video data D<b>2</b> from different time segments can be merged by the data merging device <b>4</b> into a continuous-time camera video data DD<b>22</b>. Therefore, retrieval results of fragments can be merged for the convenience of the user to observe and edit.

The above description should be considered as only the discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, a person with an ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications to the present invention. Those modifications still fall within the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims.